ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · present · club · court · bat · chip · cabinet · spring

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. club — a group
  4. present — there
  5. spring — of water
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. club — for golf
  13. spring — the season
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. court — of law
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — the time now
  19. court — for sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spring — a coil
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com